Overview

This book explores the science behind sports. It looks at topics such as healthy food and how the body works during sports. It also explores the concepts of streamlining and friction.

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature - Tina Chan

Whether kid realize it or not, science occurs in sports, whether running, jumping, or throwing balls. A skeleton is made of bones that support other parts of the body. Joints let the arms, legs, back, and other parts of the skeleton bend. Muscles make the skeleton move. When running, muscles need oxygen to work. Oxygen goes from the air into the lungs, which the heart pumps blood from the lungs to the muscles. Food is an important factor when playing sports. Some types of food have lots of energy in them, such as pasta, rice, and bread. They contain carbohydrates. Drinking water is also important as it hydrates the body. Playing sports involves pushing and pulling on things to make them move, called forces. Forces make things start to move, get faster and slower, and stop. Friction is a force caused by two things rubbing together or sliding past each other. Friction is useful in sports because it allows athletes to have a tight grip such as on a baseball bat, and to prevent sliding and rolling such as on a luge. Materials in sports are chosen based on strength, flexibility, and weight. Large, vivid, color illustrations and photographs are shown to correspond with the text. The images enhance the story and they are appropriate for the age group. A glossary is included to introduce words that may be unfamiliar to readers. Also included are a fun home experiment, further resources list, and index. Reviewer: Tina Chan

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Meet the Author

Chris Oxlade is an experienced author of non-fiction books for children. He has written more than 200 titles on science, technology, sports and hobbies, from encyclopedia articles to fun activity books.